Heel



Nov. 25, 1 1,516,487

F. ASHWORTH HEEL Filed Nov. 5, 1929.

- The rand-shaped filling Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE.

FRED ASHWORTH, OF WENHAH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO UNITED QHOE MA CHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATEBSON, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW ..J'EBSEY.

HEEL.

Application filed November 1922. Serial No. 598,880.v I

To-all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED ASHWORTH, a citizen of the United States, qresidin at Wenham, in the county of Essex and tate of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Heels, of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on eating like parts in the several figures.

ThlS invention relates to heels and has particularly in view the attainment of increased economy and the production of a superior form of blank for incorporation in a shoe heel, either as one of a plurality of lifts or as a base section for a rubber heel. a

In order to aid in the roduction of a concavity o'r so-called cup in the base side of a heel it has been a common practice to attach a rand to the face of the base lift of the heel. It is necessary that such a rand be made of high grade, firm material, and it is universal ractice to use leather.

It is an object of the present invention to produce an article which is even superior to the conventional heel base with an at.- tached rand, yet at a less manufacturing cost. To this end a heel lift is split around its edge, opened, and the split filled with material which may be cheaper than an integral leather rand of good quality. The split edge of the lift may, with a rand-shaped piece of leatherboard or even with a pieced randmade of leatherboard or scrap leather. The resulting blank is integral and unbroken on both faces and has the required de ression or cup in its center. By reason 0 its unbroken seat face it is superlor even to a blank having a complete leather rand attached externally therepiece may be secured in the split edge 0 the lift b an adhesive or other suitable means, an the blank may advantageously be molded to shape in a heel compressor. Such a blank is eminently satisfactory for use in a lift heel or for use, either alone or in oombination with another lift or lifts, as a base for rubber heels. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention a leather lift having its split edge filled with a rand-shaped piece of leather'board is used as a base for t by nails the drawings indifor example, be filled a rubber heel which is attached a shoe passing through both the liftand the rand. 1

Further features and advantages of the invention will be understood and appreciated from reading the following detailed description of one embodiment thereofin connection with the accompanying draw- 111 in which I 1g. 1 is 9. pers ctive view of a heel lift split around its e go, with the split opened ready to receive a rand or filling piece; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a pi rand ready for insertion in the split edge of the lift; I

Fig. 3 shows the blank after ithas been assembled and molded in a compressing machine; and

Fig. 4 shows the heel end of a shoe with a rubber heel attached, upon the blank of v Fig. 3 as a base.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 indicates a lift, preferably of leather, which is split aroundthe edge, as shown at 12, the split being opened to rovide a space of wedge-shaped cross section. A rand-shaped filling iece 14 is prepared to fit in the split edge 0 the lift 10. The rand 14 may be made of leatherboard, scra leather or other suitable cheap material and may either consist of a. single piece or may be pieced, as shown, for example, at 16, Fig. 2.

The rand 14 may be secured in the split 12 by an adhesive or other suitable securin means and the blankmay then be molded under heavy ressure to the desired form, as illustrated in Fig. 3, where a'concave or cupped face is shown at 18 and a Coburn lip at 20. I

It will be noted that the blank thus produced has a continuous, unbroken face of leather on each side. This is hi hly desirable in any heel and particular y so in a rubber heel base, for the reason that the chafing action between a rubber heel and the base to which it is secured is so pro-.

nounced as to cause disintegration of any material which is weaker than leather, while it has always been recognized that a surface of leather was best for attachment to theheel seat end of a sole. By this invention there is produced from a single leather lift a blank having its edge thickened to the required degree with cheap material without sacrificing the continuity of the leather surfaces of its two faces.

The inserted rand. or filling piece 14 may be sufiiciently wide to permit the heel attaching nails 22 to pass through it, as shown in Fig. 4:, thereby adding their holding power to that of the adhesive which may I have been employed, and effectually insuring a secure retention of the rand 1n place. The rubber heel 24 is in contact with a continuous surface of leather and is attached, as shown, by nails passing through the lift 10, rand 14, sole 26 and clinched in the inner sole 28.

By the use of this invention avery material econom is secured over the usual leather lift with a leather rand applied to its face, while the blank itself is even superior thereto, for the reasons previously 20 pointed out.

Having described the invention, what is claimed-as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A heel blank comprising a lift having its edge split and spread open, and a piece of material insertedin the space thus provided.

2. A heel blank thicker at the edge than in the middle, comprising a single thickness of material in the middle and a plurality of thicknessesat the edge, both faces of the blank being integral.

3. A heel blank comprising a lift having its edge split and spread open, anda piece of different material inserted in the space thus provided. 7

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

, FRED ASHWORTH. 

